"Yesterday, the Jade Lady Fairy said that she has almost prepared the amount of shark oil that my eldest brother wants.
"Now I'm just waiting for my brother's instructions. Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, I'll find an opportunity to transport it into Di Gong Gate unknowingly."
On the second day of the Xu lunar month, the lanterns are lit for the first time. It is the time when thousands of homes in Longcheng County are lit up.
In the deep house of the Liu family on Xiaogushan, in the west hall where the dining table was unattended, there was a sickly-looking young man in brocade clothes, squinting his eyes and whispering, conspiring with his brother.
"Brother, we need thirty barrels this time, which is more than before. The Jade Fairy also took a long time to prepare and get it all together. Speaking of which, she worked very hard."
"Hard work? Who doesn't work hard?"
When Liu Ziwen heard this, he curled his lips and glanced at the second brother who said the nice things, and frowned slightly:
"But it didn't hold me back in the end. After eating the Liu family's food, it was still somewhat useful."
Liu Zian raised the corners of his mouth and smiled:
"I called her here to ask."
After saying this, the second young master of the Liu family called Liu Fu, the lame butler, and gave a few instructions before the latter was ordered to leave.
Liu Zian turned around and said:
"Brother, Ouyang Lianghan takes Xie's daughter around the Dickong Gate all day long. When he returns home at night, he sends his subordinates to patrol the gate day and night. This batch of shark oil may not be easy to send in."
Liu Ziwen nodded, "I'll find a way."
"good."
Beside the two of them, Liu Zilin listened honestly for a while, then added with a serious expression:
"Big brother and second brother, we have to pay attention to that little girl named Xie. With her following Ouyang Lianghan, she may be able to rescue Ouyang Lianghan when the gate collapses."
"So the amount of shark oil arranged this time is larger than before, and the preparation will be more grand than before. Even Qi practitioners will have trouble escaping."
Liu Ziwen glanced at his third brother who had learned to think, and nodded slightly:
"But Third Brother's worries are not unreasonable. We will try our best to lure Ouyang Lianghan and Shen Xisheng to the middle section of the gate. As for Xie Lingjiang... we will see if we can lure her away by then."
"So good!"
Liu Zilin clenched his fist and hammered his palm, looking out the door, a violent look flashed in his eyes:
"What a grand and splendid ribbon-cutting ceremony. I will definitely be there to take a good look at how your arrogant face of Ouyang Lianghan was blown to pieces!"
Just as the words fell.
Liu Zilin, whose face was flushed with excitement, suddenly widened his eyes. He saw Ouyang Rong, who was dressed in official uniform, walked straight into the west hall through the night outside the door, came to the dining table where the dishes were already cold, and faced the three of them calmly.
Brother sits down.
"Ouyang Lianghan!"
It was like thunder exploding from the ground.
The three brothers of the Liu family exclaimed, and their reactions varied instantly.
"Grass!"
Liu Zilin fell to the ground with a stool and an old injury on his hip, and let out a miserable howl.
I guess I'll have to sleep on my stomach again these nights.
"you……"
Liu Zian, who was smiling and plotting just a second ago, suddenly changed his face, stood up with a "whoosh", took a step back, and knocked down the wooden bench with a "thump".
Liu Ziwen still sat in his original position, keeping his hand on the edge of the table and steadying his body.
The young head of the Liu family tilted his head and frowned, staring intently at the familiar young county magistrate across from him that made people want to get rid of him.
Good guy, I was "plotting loudly" just now, but the real person came directly and unceremoniously!
Faced with the different violent reactions of the three Liu brothers.
The young county magistrate who suddenly appeared in front of the table looked calm and even raised his hand to rest his chin.
His eyes swept across the faces of Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin indifferently.
Liu Zilin stood up from the fallen stool and looked at Ouyang Rong with a strange expression on his face, as if he had seen a ghost during the day:
"How did you get in here?"
This is the Liu family mansion that is heavily guarded. It can withstand a siege for half a day even if it is besieged by 300 full-armor Chongfu cavalry.
Liu Zian turned his head hurriedly and looked at the dark night outside the door.
I don't know whether he was waiting for the private slave soldiers, or looking for Xie Lingjiang and the county government agents who might have breached Liu's house.
Liu Ziwen's eyes always fell on the face of the uninvited guest across the table. When he heard the footsteps of Liu Fu and others hurriedly approaching outside the door, he suddenly said:
"You...are not Ouyang Lianghan."
Liu Zian and Liu Zilin were both stunned.
The young magistrate who came uninvited to the table nodded slightly, and the hand that was holding his chin pinched the edges of his face on both sides of his chin, as if taking off a mask, and silently took off a bronze animal mask.
There seemed to be a momentary rotation of light and shadow in the air.
The next breath, the three brothers Liu Ziwen, Liu Zi'an, and Liu Zilin looked closely again. Sitting in front of the table was the slender young county magistrate, who was clearly a middle-aged priestess wearing a dark robe.
The priestess's face was somewhat fleshy and covered in colorful paint. Her true face could not be clearly seen, and all she could see was a pair of gloomy eyes.
Her hair was tied into dreadlocks with colorful ribbons, and her dark sacrificial clothes were hung with jingling and complicated ornaments, including small bells, bones, and gems.
"The Jade Fairy?"
Liu Zilin said in surprise, the nervousness and panic on his face gradually disappeared, and he stood up.
Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian either frowned or looked sideways.
Liu Ziwen looked at his second brother, who shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he had no idea that he had realized the evil disguise technique of the Jade Lady Fairy Society.
The Jade Fairy held the newly cast bronze animal mask in one hand and said calmly:
"The shark oil is ready, thirty barrels, all in the yard."
After saying that, she gestured to the three Liu brothers with the bronze animal mask in her hand:
"This is a little reward for helping me recast the Mirage Mask."
"Mirage Mask?" Liu Zilin couldn't help but take a second look.
The Jade Fairy nodded and said briefly:
"Same as the Burning Sky Shark Oil, they are both immortal arts acquired by the seniors of the immortal sect in my lineage while searching for immortals overseas.
"Unexpectedly, it matches my sect's Qi training magic. As long as it is a 'sacrificial object' sacrificed by this immortal in that ritual, a mirage mask is cast. When I put it on, I can temporarily transform into '
The appearance of a sacrificial object has the charm of reincarnation and rebirth."
As if aware of the different gazes of the three Liu brothers, the Jade Fairy frowned slightly, turned her hands to put away the mirage mask, and said coldly:
"This technique and this thing is a secret that is not passed down by our sect and can only be used by this immortal."
Liu Ziwen looked away and didn't care anymore. He looked at Liu Fu and ordered:
"Pack up the Burning Sky Shark Oil in the courtyard. It will be used soon."
"Yes, sir."
Liu Fu accepted the order and retreated. Before leaving, he couldn't help but take a second look at the weird and strange Jade Fairy.
"I'm scared to death, you idiot!"
Liu Zilin breathed a sigh of relief, stood up with his buttocks in hand, and kicked the wooden stool under his feet away as if he was discouraged.
In fact, I couldn't sit still and touched an old wound on my butt.
Liu Zian looked at the Jade Fairy and asked thoughtfully:
"Is this the proof you said you wanted to show us that day?"
Liu Ziwen and Liu Zilin looked at each other in confusion.
The Jade Fairy nodded and snorted coldly:
"That person must have died that day. Otherwise, how could I have been promoted to the eighth level, and how could I have gathered my spiritual energy to cast this mirage mask? You believe me this time, right?"
Liu Zian couldn't help but said:
"Then who is still running around in the county government office and causing us trouble?"
The Jade Fairy had a cold face and said stubbornly:
"Anyway, I succeeded. This person now is definitely not the original person."
Liu Zilin looked thoughtful and couldn't help but speculate on the test question:
"Is it possible that, like you, the Jade Lady Fairy, you know the art of mirage masking and wore a mask to replace Ouyang Lianghan as the county magistrate?"
The Jade Fairy frowned, thought for a while, and shook her head:
"For a mirage that can last for such a long time, if there is no precious Qi-replenishing elixir, then this kind of spiritual Qi cultivation must be at least a top-grade Qi practitioner, or even a rank higher than the top-grade, such as a divine being from China.
"If that's the case, you, the Liu family, just surrender, give your sword, and see if you can beg for your life before they lose their fun."
The hall fell silent for an instant.
The three Liu brothers were silent.
"What a divine being from China, don't make fun of me."
Liu Ziwen suddenly scolded and said with a stern face to the Yuzao female fairy:
"It doesn't matter whether Ouyang Lianghan is dead or not, whether he is real or fake, what kind of monster he is, if you prove this to me, is it still useful?"
His face was calm, he glanced around the table and said decisively:
"Now the arrow is on the string and has to be fired. The people who should be invited have arrived, the things that should be prepared are ready, and the people who should be killed are in place. The last step is just in front of us. What kind of monster is that Ouyang Lianghan? Try
You’ll know once you try it.”
Everyone's expressions softened a little.
At this time, Liu Fu limped into the hall again, holding a small bowl steadily in his hand. The bowl contained a strange liquid mixture of ointment and black powder.
There was a faint smell of sulfur and fat in the air.
Liu Ziwen took the bowl of shark oil and leaned against the candlelight in the hall. He squinted at the liquid with some amber luster in the black, and murmured and sighed:
"This thing is more expensive than the same weight of gold. This time... it must be clean and tidy, so that we can afford to spend such a high price."
The Jade Fairy shook her head and said regretfully:
"Thirty barrels of shark oil are enough to make a thousand Burning Sky Thunders. It is more than enough to blow up a sluice... In fact, there is no need to use so much. Just like the previous times, fifteen barrels are enough. Master Liu is really
A waste of natural resources.”
Liu Ziwen said calmly: "A lion must fight a rabbit with all his strength."
The Jade Fairy snorted coldly:
"Then remember to seal it better. Even a top-grade qi practitioner will have at least half his life left within a hundred feet if he doesn't fly in the air immediately."
"So good."
Liu Ziwen paused, and then asked again just to be on the safe side:
"After confirming the effect of this thing, everyone can hear the roar of the dragon?"
"Master Liu has forgotten the past few times? Could it be that the rumors of those stupid people are wrong? Haha."
The Jade Fairy nodded, then shook her head:
"However, after the Burning Sky Shark Oil is ignited, it will make a strange roar, but it is not a dragon roar, but something like a dragon but not a dragon, like a beast but not a beast...
"It's enough to fool those stupid people. Anyway, all the people who would have suspected it are dead, and the Dickong Gate has collapsed. The remaining idiots will just think that it is another dragon king under the water who rushes through the gate and appears in the daytime."
She sneered: "After this incident, we can build a few more Dragon King temples in the county."
Liu Ziwen didn't answer, but suddenly turned around and said:
"Don't you suspect that Ouyang Lianghan is someone else?
"As for the escort of the shark oil tomorrow, you go there together, and our people will pick you up. In addition, you can also take a close look at him at that time to confirm in advance whether he is an evil spirit practitioner."
"snort."
After Liu Ziwen finished speaking, he walked outside the door, poured a small bowl of shark oil into the courtyard, and threw out a candle.
Suddenly, the courtyard was filled with strange fire.
…
Ouyang Rong woke up this morning and found that the sour feeling on his face and mouth was almost gone.
"It seems that I ate too much spicy food. I haven't eaten anything in the past two days, and the fever finally subsided."
While being dressed by the white-haired maid, Ouyang Rong muttered softly.
However, he has been dreaming frequently these days, and he doesn't know why.
He dreamed that someone was touching his face in the middle of the night.
I just woke up feeling refreshed and had forgotten the specific things in the dream. Could it be that the dream of spring couldn't come true... A certain gentleman sighed.
Today was the same as usual. After breakfast at Meiluyuan, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang met up and went to the Dickong Gate that was about to be completed in the upper reaches of Butterfly Creek.
As soon as he arrived at Yuenv Gorge, Ouyang Rong immediately received a message.
"Master Chen, are you sure it can be completed by this date? Then I have scheduled the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the afternoon of the 15th of this month. I will notify the Liu family and invite guests from all parties."
Mr. Chen patted the dust on his hands and smiled sincerely at Ouyang Rong.
"Your Majesty the County Magistrate, I and my colleagues are sure."
"That's okay."
Ouyang Rong glanced at the old craftsman, then turned his head and looked at the junior sister behind him. There was a little helplessness in his eyes.
This coincided with the marriage temple fair at Donglin Temple that he had promised to his junior sister.
Xie Lingjiang shook his head slightly, indicating that it was nothing serious and that he could follow what was discussed that day.
Yes... Ouyang Rong nodded and turned around, preparing to take his junior sister away to have a look at Master Diao and the scribes.
But at this moment, Mr. Fang Chen’s voice came from behind again:
"My Lord County Magistrate, there is actually a small matter that I would like to ask your permission for."
"Oh? A small matter? Sir, please tell me." The young county magistrate turned around.
Mr. Chen’s smile seemed a little embarrassed, and he rubbed his hands and said:
"It's like this. We, the craftsmen in Longcheng, all have some old rules and customs that we must abide by... I don't know whether I should say it or not. The county magistrate is a scholar and I probably don't believe it."
"Let's talk about it first."
The old craftsman seemed to be relieved, and said sincerely with an old face:
"It's like this. In the past, when we were making swords in the sword shop, before every important sword came out of the furnace, we would ask some temple priests to hold a sword cleaning ceremony.
"Isn't it that the Di Gong Gate will be completed in the next few days? Everyone and I are discussing whether we can also invite a temple to congratulate the priest and hold a gate cleaning ceremony in the next two days... Maybe the newly built Di Gong Gate will be completed.
The weather at Gongzha is smooth and safe."
"..." Ouyang Rong was a little speechless: "Do you still have this custom?"
"Yes, Mr. County Magistrate, do you think..."
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked: "Is this the case for Di Gongzha in the past?"
"That's right."
When Ouyang Rong heard this, he didn't seem to think too much. He waved his hand and said cheerfully:
"Okay, you go and hire someone. What you did before is what you will do now. Let's also hire someone to consecrate and baptize. Well, Mr. Chen and the seniors are indeed professional and thoughtful."
"The magistrate is wise!"
The well-spoken young magistrate smiled and waved his hand.